City National Bank Promotes Stuart Adair To Lead the Bank’s Franchise Finance Group

Adair will continue City National’s long history of dedicated service to the franchise finance industry.

LOS ANGELES – City National Bank, America’s Premier Private and Business Bank®, announced that it has promoted Stuart Adair to manage the bank’s nationwide franchise finance group. Adair leads a dedicated Franchise team offering the bank’s full suite of products and services, including loans, treasury management and capital markets products, to franchised restaurants throughout the nation. Adair will replace David Sandoval, who is retiring this year.

Subbu Viswanathan and Dave Skinner also took on expanded roles in the group. Viswanathan and Skinner now serve as franchise finance sales manager and franchise finance credit manager, respectively. They previously led franchise teams for City National in Los Angeles and Seattle.

“I’m confident Stuart will continue City National’s tradition of excellent service and deep understanding of the franchise finance industry, which we’ve served successfully for 12 years,” said Bob Iritani, executive vice president and head of Specialty Banking and Commercial Banking at City National. “With their backgrounds in both sales and credit, Stuart, Subbu and Dave strengthen our ability to better serve our clients by providing a high certainty of execution and closing.”

City National’s franchise finance group provides lending for established, top-tier national quick-service and casual dining restaurants throughout the United States. The team has detailed knowledge of dining concepts and specializes in funding store acquisitions, re-imaging and remodeling, store development, shareholder buyouts and equipment financing.  

“I am very proud to lead City National’s highly talented franchise finance group,” said Adair. “City National is committed to the franchise finance industry, and we look forward to serving this growing market and delivering the same exceptional quality of service City National is known for.”

Adair has more than 20 years of franchise finance experience. Adair joined City National’s franchise group in 2016. Before joining the bank, he worked with GE Capital Franchise Finance for 17 years, where he was managing director of underwriting. 

Viswanathan has over 20 years of lending experience that covers both commercial and specialty lending, and has held both credit and sales roles. Viswanathan joined City National’s Franchise Finance group in 2008. 

Skinner has 17 years of franchise finance experience in both sales and credit roles, including 10 years of commercial banking experience. Skinner joined City National’s Franchise Finance group in 2015.